Bhagat Singh was born in a Sikh family of farmers in
the village of Banga of Layalpur district of Punjab (now
in Pakistan) on September 27th of 1907. His family stood
for patriotism, reform, and freedom of the country. His
grandfather Arjun Singh was drawn to Arya Samaj, a
reformist movement of Hinduism and took keen interest in
proceedings of Indian National congress. Bhagat Singh's
father Kishen Singh and uncle Ajit Singh were members of
Ghadr Party founded in the U.S. in early years of this
century to route British rule in India. Both were jailed
for alleged anti-British activities. Ajit Singh had 22
cases against him and forced to flee to Iran.

Thereafter he went to Turkey, Austria, Germany
and finally to Brazil to escape Black Water (Kalapani) punishment
for his revolutionary activities in India.Young Bhagat Singh was
brought up in a politically surcharged state of Punjab which was
left with a seething memory of Jalianwalla Massacre of more than
400 innocent lives and thousand injured. As a lad of 14 he went
to this spot to collect the soil sanctified of the park of
Jallianwalla (bagh) in his lunch box, by the blood of the
innocent and kept as memento for life.

Bhagat Singh was studying in National College
founded by Lala Lajpat Rai, a great revolutionary leader and
reformist. To avoid early marriage, he ran away from home and
became a member of youth organization Noujawan Bharat Sabha which
had membership of all sects and religions. He met Chandra Shekhar
Sharma (Azad), B.K. Dutt and other revolutionaries. They used to
print handouts, newspapers in secret and spread political
awareness in India through Urdu, Punjabi and English. These were
all banned activities in India at the time, punishable with
imprisonment.

Anti-British feelings were spreading; Indians
wanted some proper representation in running the administration
of their country to which British reciprocated only on paper.
Noticing restlessness was spreading, the British Government
appointed a commission under the the leadership of Sir John Simon
in 1928 , to report on political happenings. There was no single
Indian member in this commission and all the political parties
decided to boycott the commission when it planned to visit major
cities of India.

In Lahore, Lala Lajpat Rai and Pandit Madan Mohan
Malavia decided to protest to the commission in open about their
displeasure. It was a silent protest march, yet the police chief
Mr. Scott had banned meeting or procession. Thousands had joined,
without giving room for any untoward incident. Even then Mr.
Scott beat Mr. Lala Lajpat Rai severely with a lathi (bamboo
stick) on the head several times. Finally the leader succumbed to
the injuries.

Bhagat Singh who was an eye witness to the morbid
scene vowed to take revenge and with the help of Azad, Rajguru
and Sukhadev plotted to kill Scott. Unfortunately he killed a
junior officer, Mr. Sanders in a case of mistaken identity. He
had to flee from Lahore to escape death punishment.

Instead of finding the root cause for discontent
of Indians, the British government took to more repressive
measures. Under Defense of India Act, it gave more powers to
police, to arrest persons to stop processions with suspicious
movements and actions. The act brought in the council was
defeated by one vote. Even then it was to be passed in the form
of an ordinance in the interest of the public. No doubt the
British were keen to arrest all leaders who opposed its arbitrary
actions and Bhagat Singh who was in hiding all this while,
volunteered to throw a bomb in the central assembly where the
meeting to pass ordinance was being held. It was a carefully laid
out plot, not to cause death or injury but to draw the attention
of the government, that the modes of its suppression could no
more be tolerated. It was agreed that Bhagat Singh and
Batukeshwar Dutt would court arrest after throwing the bomb.

It was a forgone conclusion in 1929 April 8th at
Delhi Central Assembly. Singh and Dutt threw handouts, and bombed
in the corridor not to cause injury and courted arrest after
shouting slogans Inquilab Zindabad (Long Live, Revolution!)

Meanwhile the killers of Sanders were identified
with the treachery of Bhagat Singh's friends who became
"Approvers." Bhagat Singh thought the court would be a
proper venue to get pu8blicity for the cause of freedom and did
not want to disown the crime. But he gave fiery statement giving
reasons for killing which was symbolic of freedom struggle. He
wanted to be shot like a soldier and not die at gallows . But,
his plea was rejected and he was hanged on 23rd March 1931. He
was 24.

Bhagat Singh became a legendary hero with masses.
Innumerable songs were composed about him and the youth
throughout the country made him their ideal. He became a symbol
of bravery and a goal to free India..